Essex · London and the South East
High Garrett Chimney Survey
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you decide what to do next. Chimney surveys in High Garrett, with photographs and a clear written report.
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
- Signs that a stack is leaning
About our chimney survey in High Garrett
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It’s not a flue inspection, a chimney sweep or a gas safety inspection. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, lead flashings and flaunching, and common reasons people get in touch are damaged chimney pots and cowls and signs that a stack is leaning.
Some older homes in villages like High Garrett are listed or in a conservation area. If yours is, re-roofing in different materials may need consent, so the council is the place to check. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Where a building is listed, matching the existing roof materials is often expected.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly.
- Where
- High Garrett (CM7)
- Region
- Essex
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
FAQs for High Garrett
Do you survey roofs for landlords with property near Braintree station?
Yes, landlords and agents book with us as well as owners. You can call 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and a few details.
Is High Garrett within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We cover the whole of London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the loft space. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable. If part of a stack cannot be seen, the report says so.
Do you survey roofs on blocks of flats?
Yes, once access has been agreed. Roofs over flats are often shared, so the building owner or managing agent needs to agree access. We inspect only the parts we are allowed to reach.
What happens after the survey?
The report arrives by email. With Standard there’s a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation, so you can talk the findings through.
What does a chimney survey cover?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there is safe access. You get a written report with photos.
How do I arrange a chimney survey in High Garrett?
Simply phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address. After a few questions, we confirm the price and fix a day, weekday or weekend.
Honest limits
Some things can’t be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- Areas we cannot view from safe positions
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Hidden damage within the stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roof types and parts we check
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Chimney breasts
Useful tips for High Garrett property owners
There is plenty you can do without going near the roof. Here’s what helps most:
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Leave close inspection to people with safe access
- Book a sweep for flues that are in use
Questions about the findings are always welcome. The Standard Survey includes a follow-up consultation and the Premium Survey an in-person consultation.
Unused stacks should be capped in a way that still lets air through. Ventilation helps keep the stack dry.
Places near High Garrett
Also in High Garrett
What a survey costs
All our prices include VAT. The things that change the price are:
- Basic, Standard or Premium
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- The roof’s overall size
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
Simple, low roofs take less time to survey than tall or complicated ones, and the package you pick makes a difference too. The price is always agreed first.
Booking your survey
To price your survey accurately, we will ask about:
- The type of building and roof, such as pitched or flat
- When you need the report by
- What made you get in touch
- The address and postcode of the property
We confirm the price for the job before you book, so you know the cost up front. Prices start from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Checking the roof from the ground
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can point to a blockage or a sagging run.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
What happens on the day
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, look at the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and make notes for the report. It typically takes about one to two hours for a house, and more on a big or complicated roof. In a small place like High Garrett, access is normally the main thing to plan. Let us know about outbuildings, past repairs and any leaks you’ve noticed. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We check the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
Preparing for the visit
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Leave side gates unlocked
- For flats, make sure roof access has been agreed
How to book
Most bookings start with a short call: ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and we’ll ask a few questions about the roof. You will have a price before anything is arranged.
Advice
High Garrett homes and their roofs
In Essex, older buildings are frequently clay-tiled, many with weatherboarding, while many towns grew with post-war and newer estates. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them. There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, so the council is the place to ask.
For site and facilities teams at buildings like Bocking Church Street Primary School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle. Living close to Bocking Blackwater is pleasant, but mature trees mean leaves in gutters and valleys each autumn, and blocked gutters overflow and soak walls. If you let a flat or house near Braintree station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at.
High Garrett is about 2 miles north of Braintree, in Essex. From houses to flats and shops in High Garrett, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Our Essex coverage includes High Garrett. For surveys nearby, see our Chelmsford page.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: CM7. We cover properties on High Garrett, Grove Field and Sunnyfields Road. Other places close to High Garrett include Bocking Churchstreet (1 mile south-west), Gosfield (2 miles north), Beazley End (2 miles north-west), Church End (3 miles west) and Shalford (4 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Colchester (14 miles east), Chelmsford (13 miles south), Maldon (13 miles south), Witham (8 miles south), Camulodunum (13 miles east) and Halstead (3 miles north-east).
Around High Garrett
We work in homes and buildings around Tabor Academy and Bocking Blackwater, among other places. The closest station to High Garrett is Braintree station, roughly 2.6 miles south of the centre. Nearby you will also find Tudor House Museum (Braintree) (1.7 miles south-west) and Braintree Community Hospital (2.6 miles south-west). Green spaces nearby include Belcher's and Broadfield Woods.
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It is normally a modest repair when it’s caught early.
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. We record any we can see.